Friday, January 16, 2015

Elephants at dawn



Today we went exploring with a group of African elephants.  I booked us on a small group tour with Shearwater Adventures. Our day began with an early morning pick-up from our hotel.  We were then driven out to the company's 4,000-hectare private game reserve where five elephants were waiting for our group. 

I was pleased to learn that our tour wasn't exploiting animals born and raised in the wild. The elephants we rode were conditioned to humans from a young age after being rescued by the tour company. Sadly, their mothers were either killed by poachers or culled by rangers (a practice that's since been discontinued). The reserve also runs a Black Rhino Breeding Programme that's working to rebuild and sustain this endangered species. However, we didn't see any Rhinos during our visit.

Climbing aboard these enormous animals was an adventure in itself.  Our "Induna" or driver, got it to crouch down on the ground. We then clambered aboard using a small step ladder. When you first get on you feel a bit unsettled, especially as the elephant stands to its full height. It certainly feels a very long way down. You also sit on a type of canvas saddle with stirrups for resting your feet in.  This rustle saddle made us feel far more connected to the animal than the platform-based rides I've experienced in India.  We rode with two people per elephant plus our driver.


Our 45-minute ride took us on a circuit through the bush down into a shallow river bed which we crossed before circling back and returning to base. We were then given an opportunity to feed the animals and take plenty of one-in-a-lifetime close-up photos with them. It was a genuinely moving experience.

To quote the tour company, "Sitting on a knee of these gigantic animals being able to stare into those big blinking eyes, feel the velvety softness of the ears and the rough hue of their skin, and to have them feed right for your hand with their incredible trunks – is deeply bonding and a visceral feeling for many."  I couldn't have said it better myself!

Perhaps one of the excursion's coolest highlights was something completely unplanned.  As we drove into the reserve we encountered a pack of Painted Dogs chasing a forlong little antelope.  It was fascinating to watch these animals on the hunt. The drama that unfolded couldn't have been scripted better by David Attenborough himself.


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